Spells is a fantasy novel by author Aprilynne Pike. It is the sequel to Pike's #1 New York Times best-selling debut, Wings, which introduced readers to Laurel Sewell, a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. Spells was released in the United States on May 4, 2010, and debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list. It also debuted on the Indie Bestsellers list.
Plot summary
Six months after discovering that she is a faerie scion and saving the gateway to Avalon, Laurel is summoned to her faerie home to hone her skills as a Fall Faerie. She expects to be able to return to normal life after her classes have ended, but she quickly realizes that danger is still coming. She must also choose between her two worlds – and the two guys in them. Spells begins six months after Laurel's close encounter with death due to Barnes the troll. She steps out of her car, ready to go to the Academy of Avalon to train as a Fall faerie and is greeted by Tamani. Her supposed summer vacation isn't all that fun because she has to work hard honing her skills as a Fall faerie in order to be prepared to defend herself against situations like the one that happened six months ago. She gets a little time off every now and then, much to her relief, when Tam comes to visit and take her on a tour of Avalon. As summer ends, so does Laurel's trip back to her roots. On her return she is greeted by some pleasant, and some not so pleasant, changes. School starts and she gets back to her normal life as a human. Then comes fall, when Laurel's flower blooms again. This time, with her family knowing everything, it's much easier to deal with. However, in the last days she is attacked again but is saved by a woman called Klea whose sole mission in life is to hunt down supernatural beings, particularly trolls. She then goes to the land to tell Tamani everything that happened and is warned to be careful. For some time, things cool down and in the meanwhile she receives an invitation to attend the Samhain festival in order to welcome the New Year – and a note from Tam which says he'll escort her. She sneaks out without telling either David or her family about her visit to Avalon and has fun watching all the dramas and shows put up by the Summer faeries for entertainment. At the end of the festival Tam kisses Laurel and tells her that he's tired of waiting, after which they have an argument. Later, Shar announces that David has come, at which time Tam asks her to tell him the truth: does she love him or not? Laurel says that she doesn't and asks him to go away. At that moment, he pulls her in and kisses her – with David staring at them. Laurel and David have an argument after which David says he needs some alone time. That very night she receives a note from Barnes. She goes to David and tells him that Barnes has Chelsea as his hostage. They both go to save her; on their way to the lighthouse they stop at Laurel's mom's store to get some ingredients for 'monastuolo serum', something that will help them defend themselves from the trolls. Once there, Laurel uses the serum against the trolls. All of the trolls except Barnes are affected by it; she then points a gun at him and demands for some answers. However, during this little chat Barnes tricks her and makes her the target once again. At this moment Klea enters and kills Barnes. It is revealed that Chelsea had her suspicions all along that Laurel was a faerie. Laurel apologizes to David and tells him that she loves him; he forgives her, but she also tells him that she'll be going to visit Tamani the next day to tell him that she cannot handle juggling two worlds any more, and that she will not come to visit him. Things also get cleared up between Laurel and her mom. The next day when she visits the land, instead of Tam it is Shar who receives her and tells her that Tamani no longer guards that post. He went away because Laurel told him to. He also tells her that he didn't hate her, just the way she treated Tamani, and tells her about the depth of his love for her. Laurel then tells Shar that what she had come to tell Tam: that she won't be visiting him again, and can't handle two worlds, which Shar praises. He asks her about the cause of her getting blisters. At first she doesn't tell, but eventually gives in when realizing the grave danger she is putting Avalon in by hiding what had happened. When she leaves, it is revealed that Tamani had been there and was hiding from her so that he could get the real details about what happened. The book ends with Shar and Tam talking about Tam's new assignment. The assignment is not revealed, but it said to be something that Tamani would like to do.
Critical reception
Spells met with critical acclaim prior to its release. Booklist gave Spells a starred review and wrote, "Mixing a little bit of Harry Potter and a lot of Twilight... Pike has hit on a winning combination. Yet it is her own graceful take on life inside Avalon that adds a shimmering patina sure to enthrall readers." Romantic Times awarded Spells a "Top Pick," noting that "urprises and suspense abound, making Spells harder to put down than Wings. Laurel is blossoming into an intriguing woman. Her conflict of heart won't come as a surprise to others who have been torn between two things they love dearly." Salt Lake City Weekly found that "...Pike's tale is more than another derivative hero-quest narrative. While telling a fanciful story about faeries and trolls, she cleverly interweaves an effective teen coming-of-age yarn". Spells was endorsed via a cover blurb by Carrie Jones, who said, "Spells is brilliant and lovely. Aprilynne Pike's talent just continues to bloom and I am almost afraid to see how awesome her next book will be."
